The best horror games that are like nightmares

Key conclusions

• Immerse yourself in surreal worlds, otherworldly terrors and mind-blowing monsters with these nightmarish horror games.
• From Lovecraftian creatures to psychological horror, video games do a great job of bringing your worst nightmares to life.

What scares you the most? Spiders? Monsters under the bed? Maybe the feeling that you are lost, or the past is catching up with you? No matter what keeps you up at night, horror games are a surefire way to bring your darkest nightmares to life.

Whether through surrealism or psychological horror, video games have a knack for getting inside your head and bringing out all the things that give you goosebumps. The following titles aren't just scary. It seems to them that they are literally falling into nightmares. Turn off the lights, put on your headphones and get ready to face your fears.

8 Kill the princess

A fascinating visual novel

Recurring nightmares are some of the scariest dreams out there, and no game captures that better than Slay the Princess. This Lovecraftian visual novel places you outside of your cabin in the woods. A strange, disembodied voice says that there is a princess inside and it's your job to kill her. Otherwise it will be the end of the world. Upon entering, you realize that something much more sinister awaits you inside. Will you complete your task? Or seek the truth on your own terms?

Slay the Princess makes you go through the same scenario over and over again, with different paths depending on the choices you make. Each playthrough offers a new terrifying twist, from blood-curdling horror to terrifyingly terrifying monsters. If you've ever felt stuck reliving the same dream, this game offers the same horror plus an exciting mystery.

7 Limbo

Exciting, surreal puzzle platformer

Limbo is one of the most famous indie horror games out there, and for good reason. This spooky puzzle game will send you to the monochrome forest on a journey to find your lost sister. With no dialogue or exposition to guide you, you must rely solely on your wits to survive the forest's diabolical traps and spine-tingling creatures.

This forest is home to many disturbing monsters straight out of your worst dreams, including a colossal spider and a brain-eating parasite. However, it's the game's clever puzzles that really set the experience apart. Exciting, surreal and endlessly creepy, Limbo never fails to make you cringe.

6 Five nights with Freddy 4

The scariest FNAF game ever

Five Nights at Freddy's 4 perfectly captures children's fear of monsters under the bed. You live the nightmares of a small child who is afraid of animatronics. Big, shabby robots are invading your house, and you have to listen for their footsteps, peek into the hallway, and close the door if they get too close.

The FNAF series is known for making you feel completely defenseless, and this game is no exception. Nothing causes more panic than fending off bloodthirsty critters trying to sneak into your bedroom. Throw in some complex and ambiguous lore and FNAF 4 will scare you and make you think.

5 Fran Bowe

Point And Click psychological game about dealing with grief

Set in the 1940s, Fran Bow is a creepy point-and-click game that uses psychological horror to create blood-curdling horror. The story is about a girl named Fran who gets lost in the woods after witnessing her parents' murder. Traumatized and incredibly scared, Fran must deal with her devastating reality while surviving the many disturbing ghouls in the forest.

The game delves deep into the struggles of grief, loss, and managing mental health. Each strange creature represents a new obstacle Fran must overcome to find peace. A convoluted plot and elaborate puzzles make for an exciting, terrifying journey worth experiencing at least once.

4 Amnesia: The Dark Descent

The cult survival horror game that is still scary

One of the most common nightmares is being chased, and Amnesia: The Dark Descent fully embraces that fear. You control an amnesiac protagonist named Daniel who wakes up in Branenburg Castle full of monsters. In order to survive, you must solve many mind-boggling puzzles while avoiding the many nightmarish creatures that roam the halls.

Amnesia is considered one of the most influential survival horror games due to the sense of helplessness it evokes. If there is no way to protect yourself, the only option is to run or hide. Lingering in the dark or looking too long at a monster causes even more terrifying events. It was terrible when it launched in 2010, and it's still just as terrible today.

3 Layers of Fear (2016)

A first-person adventure where everything is not as it seems

Layers of Fear is a first-person psychological horror game about an artist trapped in a creepy Victorian mansion. You control a man known only as the Artist, who wanders his old, run-down estate in search of inspiration for his latest painting. The more you advance, the more twisted and twisted the mansion becomes, as the Artist is haunted by his tragic past.

The goal is to explore, solve puzzles, and piece together the tragedy that plagues the protagonist. This game really knows how to mess with you, featuring rapidly changing environments and strange illusions to make you question everything you see. Check to see if it has any reality-altering fears.

2 Silent Hill 2

One of the scariest horror games ever made

There's nothing scarier than the past coming back to haunt you, which is the main theme of the legendary survival horror game Silent Hill 2. The story follows James Sunderland, who is lured to a haunted town by a letter from his dead wife. Along the way, he faces many terrifying fears, including townspeople who know too much about him, and an indestructible monster known as the Pyramid Dog.

Without further spoilers, Silent Hill 2 is about solving a dark mystery from James' past. Each person and creature symbolizes a part of their troubling history and the guilt they feel because of it. In a way, the city is one big metaphor that creates an emotional, thought-provoking and horrifying experience that all horror fans should try.

1 Little nightmares

Face your childhood fears in an addictive puzzle platformer

Little Nightmares truly lives up to its name, taking you through a surreal world filled with everything that haunted your childhood dreams. Take control of a young girl named Six who is trapped in a nightmarish realm called Mau. Using a combination of platforming and puzzle solving, you must find a way to survive the many horrors lurking in the darkness.

No other game does a better job of showing the horrors of the world from a child's perspective. Each monster is a grotesque representation of a child's fear, from a giant cannibalistic chef to a twisted janitor that captivates children. If you want goosebumps, Little Nightmares should be at the top of your playlist.